For the past two and a half years, Littlefield, the performance and art space inside a sustainable building in the Gowanus, has provided an expansive calendar of curated events for the community from craft fairs to art exhibits to independent music shows. offManhattan spoke with co-owner Julie Kim about the space, their cultural calendar and where she frequents when she’s not managing her piece of cultural real estate off the canal in Brooklyn.
oM: How were you attracted to opening up a performance space?
JK: “I was an environmental engineer for ten years. As great a career it was, it wasn’t fulfilling. I had other interests in music and art and I wanted to use my environmental background too. Scott Koshnoodi and I are the co-owners of Littlefield and we wanted it to be a destination in the Gowanus. Despite a tragic history with toxins in the canal and dumping, the community is trying to revitalize it. I saw it as a perfect opportunity for us.”
oM: How do you simultaneously curate culture and filter events so that you’re offering quality programming?
JK: “We have a great booking staff—including Jack “Skippy” McFadden—who is in the industry, established nationally and in the community. We have Sergio Pizzo Barrale, who is our resident artist and co-curator of artwork. The murals on the walls are created by him and he always makes a good point when reviewing submissions that ‘You want to look at something beautiful and ask, is it thought provoking, forward thinking, does it make you ask questions?'”
oM: With a litany of diverse events to schedule and as a local resident of Brooklyn, what do you like to do when you’re not at Littlefield?
JK: “When I do take a break, I love to go out to eat. [Chuckling] I’m always interested in what Brooklyn is doing in the culinary arts. For brunch, I like the Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights—where I live—they have amazing cocktails. Near Littlefield, I go to Buttermilk Channel, where I’ve learned the secret to beating the weekend rush. Doug’s blood orange doughnut is my favorite. And, for coffee I like Blue Marble, they serve New York-based Irving Farm Coffee Company, Sit and Wonder for a cup of Stumptown, and my new favorite, brewing La Colombe, is Glass Shop. I also like to go to things that inspire me. I like the everyday things like Prospect Park, it’s an amazing place and in winter I go there for ice skating. As well, every October A.G.A.S.T. does the Gowanus Open Studios for galleries which I attend.”
oM: Can you speak about the importance of collaboration to the success of an event space like Littlefield?
JK: “We deliberately came into a neighborhood that wanted to be a neighborhood. So, our goals align with the community. We are a work in progress; we’re always trying to work with new people and we want to make local businesses and the people here in the community better. We like to keep our calendar diverse, so working with Overflow magazine and local DJ groups helps us to boost their events and they bring light to our space.”
oM: Why is it important for culture consumers to support local events in the community even though many are on a budget?
JK: “I didn’t get into the nightlife to make money; the decision came down to what makes me happy and eager to work. It was my personal passion for music and art. New York offers quality events for the cheap. Listings like The Skint always have events for under $20 and $10, so even if you are on a budget, New York is a great place to be active and creative all year long.”
Upcoming events at Littlefield include the Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Market on 12/17, the No Office Holiday Party on 12/15, hosted by Brooklyn Based, The Skint, Fucked in Park Slope, and Brokelyn, and A Very Holiday Hot Tub with Kurt.
How to get there: Take the R train to Union Street and walk two blocks north on 4th Avenue. Turn left onto Degraw Street and walk to the middle of the block. Littlefield is on the south side of the street.
Photos: Anton Brookes, Glass Shop, and Patrick Falle Parault
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram